Form for concrete and the like



Dec. 8, 1953 R. c. YATES FORM FOR CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 28, 1950 JNVENTOR. W A. W

0042/52, CZ. 6am

AT TO RNEY.

Patented Dec. 8, 1953 2,661,516 L'F'ORMFOR'CONCRETETAND THE LIKE Rich'ard '0. Yates, Binghamton, N. "71%., assignor :toBinghamton M-etalt Forms, *Inc.,' Binghaniton, N. Y., a corporation of New'York Application February 28, 1950; SerialNo. 146E850 "This invention-relates to apparatus' adapted for use in building concrete andsi-m'flar-structures' and' more'particula'rly to road 'ra'ils and simiiar forms used int-he building of roads, walks, curbs and the like.

Cine or the objects 'of the -present invention is t0"'r0V-1de a novel form of the above I character which i is sturdy and rugged and hence capable of "withstanding the shocks and stresses to' which sueh equipmen't is subjected during ordinary handlingand usage.

'Ano'thenobject of the invention is to provide a 'nove1ly ccnstructed 'roa'd rail or. form which is fabricated from t'he 'fiewest possible number .of "parts which aresointegratecl-ianu associated-as to insure maximum strength and stability witha Bminimum o'f weight.

'Still another object: of lt'he;.invention-xis to :provide a'form wherein stake poeketskare .novelly combined with "the a-form bod-yand metallically integrated 'rtherewith, wa by "welding, in such a imann'er "as 'to "strengthen and otherwise -adVantageouslysupplementrthe same.

"A further ob i'ect is to'provide-ia novel=form for r'o'eid building and the" iikewh ich is so constructed as to Yadvantageousiy i ocatethe center of gravity and broaden the effective base to thereby improve the bai'ane'erthereof ini'standin'g position amiithus make the handling thereof easier when? the? same isl being brought "to 5 line 1and:"gra'de,"whi1e atz'the same time-reducing the weight withcutr'sacrifioin'g essentiaristren'gth.

Astill further objeet"isito" providei'apparatus'of the abov'e characterwhereinithre fcrrnzbodytrstaike 'pecket'and 'stahe cooperate in a novel-i'and -advanta'geousma'nner to *i-rrsure'moreiseeure support for fthelformito' prevent verticalcer' ti lting movement thereof.

The above and further objects and IIUVGITTEE- FtIIIE'SFOf: th .imenticnwill'mioreiully appear from thefollowing; detailed description wherrthe' same is -reaidin connection the accompanying It is toibeexpresslyiuriderstoodghow- :ever, that the .rdrawings rare lior the rpu'rpose of illustration :onlyand rareznot 'intendedfi as-atdefi- L "nition' ofthe Jim-its "of thetinyention.

.1 Inithe drawings whereiniiikefreierence fcharac- *terss'refer "to like-1 parts ithroughout ithe severail views,

Fig. "1 is an isometric view, partly in section and withvpart's broken away, of on'e ty'pe of road mm or form embodying the present invention;

Fig-. 1 2 is a'horizontal sectionalview-with: p'arts broken-"away, '1 the ssection being taken on line 4-+2?of: Fig.-3.;

-=Fig.*.3' is -an end view, partly in section, of the form shown in "Fig. 1, the section being -taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

-'--'Fig; 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing a modi fiedembodiment of the invention.

The invention as illustrated in F-igs. 1-to.3*of theLdraw-ings," by Way of example, is embodied in a single section of a road rail or fo-rm a'dap'tedior use in 'bu i-lding'roads, walks; curbs or the likeo'f concrete or-siniilarmaterials. use,'a-'series"of these section-sare setup *end to end along a desiredqin'e'and grade ina manner well understood in the' art to confine and support the concrete, or other material, until it 'hardens and thereby formsthevertical edge or side wall ofthe'stru'cture. These iorms are subjected to 'rough handling and other severe shocks and stresses during use and mustaccord ingly be verys'turdily constructed to-avoid bending ortwisting thereof. Onthe other lh'and, forms of this character should preferably be oi suffieiently light weight and so construeted a-s to: permit easy accurate ins tailation'thereof bya minimum number of persons and in a min imum period of time. Light- 'n'ess of weight-alsocontribu'tes' to theease' with which ihe fonm may :be supported by stakes in the even t the-same is not resting upon the ground or other support asis'often the case when forms are-origina1iyinstalled. The novel construction *of 'thepresent invention a'ccompl-ishesah ofthese results.

ln the embodiment shown; the form body i0 is channel-shaped in vertical transverse section" and 'comprises'''' a 1 vveb H Whi-ch normally assumes a vertical position during use. An upper horizontal hangs lzextends at right angles to the Webzand is provided with a turned down edge M thereby "forming what 'may be called a double flange I 2, I 4. Extending at right angles'fromthe lower "edge of'wvebfl l "is a flange -I 5, the Outer edge 16' of which is turned upwardly to form a so-called 'doublei flange- 65,1 6. The-upper flange 1'2 may-be providedWith-spaced slots n for ioeatingfldivision 'piates "='(notshoWn-') which may extendbe- 'tween spaced parallel forms and cooperate therevvith'in-auna'nner which is weilknownin the-art.

"The pr'ese'nt invention comprehends fime'ans novel'ly integrated and=assoeiated with: form body -l li' for siniiiltaneously strengthening the samesand uaif-J'erdingmeans'whereby the same-maybeeasiiy andmroperlyipositionedsandssupported with"refe'rence to'ithecdesired: iine andqgrade of; the edge or' side or. the" structure: being built, while at==the same'timeiminimizing the-weight andinumber 50f component partsan'dadvantageously locatingthe center of gravity of the completed form. Said novel means comprises a stake pocket or strap |8 which is made by stamping out and bending to shape a single piece of sheet steel. The radius of the bend or bite I9 at the center of the sheet is such that the inner surface thereof will closely frictionally engage the surface of and preferably resiliently grip a cylindrical stake 23, the purpose and operation of which will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

The opposite halves or side webs 20, 20 of the pocket member l8 diverge toward and engage web between flanges l2 and IS, the vertical edges of said pocket webs being welded to or otherwise metallically integrated with body web The sides 20, 20 have upwardly extending tabs 2| which are of such size as to have a sliding fit in and completely fill the channel formed by the web H and the double flange l2, M. The edges of said tabs are securely attached to the inner surface of said channel, such as by weld ing or other metallic integration. That portion of the stake pocket adjacent bend l9 extends outwardly beyond the outer edge of flange l5 and downwardly a distance approximately equal to the height of the up-turned edge portion Hi, the vertical edges of the downwardly extending portion or tab being welded to the outer face of flange l6 as indicated at 22. Thus, outside the lower double flange of the form body the lowermost edge of the stake pocket is in the same or approximately the same horizontal plane as the lower face of flange l5. In this manner the stake pockets serve as means for assisting in supporting the form in edgewise or standing position (as shown in the drawings) before the stakes are inserted and driven as is highly desirable during the lining-up and installation procedure.

By thus integrating the form body ID with one or more stake pockets I8 by welding the latter to flange l6, web H and double flange |2, I4, and thereby forming a rigid unitary structure, the resistance of the form to bending or twisting is greatly enhanced. This important advantage of the present novel construction makes it possible to use lighter materials and hence produce lighter forms without sacrificing essential strength. This construction also makes it possible to use only a minimum number of parts and combine the same in such a manner that the form may be easily kept free of any accumulation of concrete or other foreign materials. It will be understood that Welding along the edges of the stake pocket which contact the form body may be either continuous or intermittent.

The lower edge of stake pocket |8 is preferably inclined upwardly toward web l in order to make it easy to remove any concrete or other material which may fall into the lower double flange I5, l6 between the sides of the stake pocket. The upper edges of the sides of the stake pocket outside of upper flange I2, H! are preferably inclined downwardly toward the bend [9, whereby any blows by a sledge which accidentally miss stake 23 will strike only a glancing blow against the stake pocket and thereby reduce the possibility of damage. It will be noted, however, that since the stake does not have to pass through any confined space, which might be insuificient to pass the battered upper end of a stake, the latter may be driven before the form is mounted thereon. By like token the form may be readily removed from the driven stakes independently of the condition of the upper ends of the latter, thus making it easier to heave the stakes out of the ground.

Similarly, if it is desirable to drive the stakes while the form is in position the stake will pass through the pocket with suflicient freedom so that the latter will not interfere with the driving operation.

The number of stake pockets installed on each section or form is, of course, optional. In one suitable embodiment two stake pockets are used on a form 10 feet long, said pockets being spaced 5 feet apart and equi-distant from opposite ends of the form. Any suitable means known to the art may be employed for aligning and connecting the adjacent ends of successive sections. One suitable known means for this purpose is illustrated at the ends of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Means are provided for securing the form |0, Hi to stakes 23 to hold the form in proper position and to support the same above the ground when necessary. As shown, said means comprise a flat Wedge member 24 which slidably extends through oppositely disposed slots 25, 25 in walls 20, 20 of the stake pocket. The slots are so positioned in relation to the stake 23 that the wider portion of the tapered member 24 may be securely wedged between the stake and the opposite ends of the slots as best seen in Fig. 2. Inasmuch as stake pocket I8 is rigidly integrated with form body I0, and is held in firm engagement with stake 23 throughout a substantial vertical distance when the wedge is driven home to the left (Fig. 2), all of the parts will constitute a rigid unit so there cannot be any relative angular or vertical movement of the parts. In order to increase the friction between stake 23 and stake pocket Hi and accordingly to enhance the holding power of the stake, the latter may be made of hard steel containing approximately .45% carbon and the pocket of soft steel containing approximately .15% carbon. The high coefl'icient of friction between the stake and pocket, the large area of contact therebetween and the Wedging of the stake between the side walls 20, 20 adjacent bend l9 all contribute to providing a large holding force. For this reason a single stake will often be sufficient to properly position and hold a form section.

The thickness of wedge 24 is preferably only slightly less than the width of slots 25, 25 to thereby permit free sliding movement of the wedge. In order to prevent accidental removal and loss of the wedge, one end thereof, for example, the righthand end in Fig. 2, may be made wider or thicker than slot 25 and the opposite end may be provided with a bead 26 which will prevent passage of the wedge through the slot. This bead may be formed with a punch applied under high pressure to the opposite side of the wedge member.

As illustrated in the drawings, the stake pockets i8 are welded to the body of the form I0 along vertical edges only, i. e., along the vertical edges of wa1ls.20, 20; tabs 2|, 2| and the bottom tabs which engage the upstanding flange I6. By thus making all of the welds vertical, danger of warping the form body during the welding process is substantially eliminated. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to provide Welds which extend horizontally between the upper edges of tabs 2|, 2| and horizontal upper flang |2. In constructing the form the weld at 22 is preferably made first With the side walls 20, 20 of the stake pocket in firm engagement With the upper edge of upstanding flange l6. Thus, in the completed form many initial stresses are trans- 5 ferred through the stake pocket to the bottom flange of the form body without stressing the welded joints which connect the stake pocket and the form body.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 4 is identical with the embodiment above described except that the upstanding edge or lip 16 is eliminated from the bottom flange and the bottom edge of the stake pocket I 6 is extended inwardly and welded to the upper face of single flange l5. An opening 21 is provided by cutting away the corners of the stake pocket walls to permit easy removal of any concrete or foreign matter which may drop into the pocket and lodge upon flange 15.

Although only two modifications of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specification, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various minor changes may be made in the design and arrangement of parts illustrated, as well as in the materials suggested, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a construction form, a channel-shaped body member comprising a vertical web having flanges on one side at the upper and lower edges thereof, said flanges having marginal portions at the free edges thereof turned downwardly and upwardly, respectively, into parallel relation with said web, and a stake pocket consisting of a single piece of sheet metal bent centrally to form a stake embracing bend therein and sides diverging in vertical planes toward said web, each said side having edge portions thereof in engagement with said web and both said flanges to form a rigid brace between the latter, the sole connection between said piece and body member consisting of metallic bonds between vertically extending edges of said piece and vertically extending surfaces of said member, and said stake pocket extending laterally from said web beyond the upturned marginal portion of said lower flange and having a downwardly projecting tab portion with vertical edges metallically bonded to the face of said upturned marginal portion remote from said web.

2. A construction form as defined in claim 1 wherein the sides of the stake pocket have tabs extending into the channel space between said web and the down-turned portion of the upper flange, said tabs having vertically extending edge portions metallically bonded to the vertically extending surface of said down-turned flange portion facing said web.

3. In a construction form, a channel shaped body member comprising a vertical web and horizontal flanges at the upper and lower edges of said web, the lower flange having the marginal portion at the free edge thereof turned upwardly, said up-turned marginal portion being substantially parallel with said web, a stake pocket consisting of a single piece of sheet metal bent intermediate its ends to form a stake embracing bend therein and sides diverging in vertical planes toward said web, each said side having edge portions thereof in engagement with said web and both said flanges to form a rigid brace between the latter, the central portion of the stake pocket including the stake embracing bend extending laterally beyond said up-turned marginal portion and having a downwardly projecting tab portion terminating in approximately the same plane as the lower surface of the lower flange and having vertical edges adjacent the vertical surface of said up-turned portion remote from said web, and means for securing said stake pocket to said member consisting solely of welds connecting the vertical edges of said sides to said body member, including welds connecting the vertical edges of said downwardly extending tab to said up-turned marginal portion of the lower flange.

4. In a construction form, a channel shaped body member comprising a vertical web and horizontal flanges at the upper and lower edges of said web, the upper flange having a marginal portion at the free edge thereof turned downwardly and the lower flange having the marginal portion at the free edge thereof turned upwardly, said down-turned and up-turned marginal portions being substantially parallel with said web, a stake pocket consisting of a single piece of sheet metal bent intermediate its ends to form a stake embracing bend therein and sides diverging in vertical planes toward said web, each said side having edge portions thereof in engagement with said web and both said flanges to form a rigid brace between the latter, the central portion of the stake pocket including the stake embracing bend extending laterally beyond said up-turned marginal portion and having a downwardly projecting tab portion terminating in approximately the same plane as the lower surface of the lower flange and having vertical edges adjacent the vertical surface of said up-turned portion remote from said web and said sides of the stake pocket having upwardly extending tabs which extend into and have edgewise engagement with the walls of the channel between said web and said down-turned marginal portion of the upper flange, and means for securing said stake pocket to said member consisting solely of welds connecting the vertical edges of said sides to said web, the vertical edges of said downwardly extending tab to said upturned marginal portion of the lower flange and the vertical edges of said upwardly extending tabs to the down-turned marginal portion of said upper flange.

RICHARD C. YATES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,473,730 Loxterman Nov. 13, 1923 1,477,767 Pulis Dec. 18, 1923 1,651,787 Venable Dec. 6, 1927 1,710,574 Ginnetti Apr. 23, 1929 1,909,458 Dieckmann May 16, 1933 1,916,796 Hirschhorn July 4, 1933 

